The mere mention of skin peels may send most of us running for cover. Especially the sensitive skinned among us. While it may sound like a toxic ingredient nightmare, there is a valid place in the beauty regimen for peels.

The term is unfortunate. Peel sound so…harsh. And yes, chemical acid peels are harsh, causing skin to turn red and peel from the face. They are effective in revealing fresh skin, but continued use can actually weaken and thin the skin, causing irritation, inflammation, and excessive dryness or oiliness. Not good.

Peels are really just another form of exfoliation. We’ve been told that exfoliation is key to healthy, clear skin, which it is, but could we be doing it all wrong? Or at least be doing it better?

Let’s start with why exfoliating is so essential to cooperative skin. Dead skin cells build up on the top layer of skin, trapping oil and debris underneath. This leads to breakouts, sallow complexion, and enhancement of fine lines. It also inhibits the skin’s ability to properly absorb the healthy ingredients in nourishing skincare.

All skin types benefit from exfoliation, not just congested skin. It can be done in different ways, to varying degrees and frequency. So, we’ve established sloughing is indeed a good thing. But as with other beauty rituals, like cleansing for example, could we be doing this whole exfoliating thing wrong?

Granular is the name of the game with most exfoliating products. Salt, sugar, and other particles (ground nut shells and meal, pumice) are used in these products to break up and remove dry, dead skin cells.

No doubt, this abrasive method of exfoliation is effective. But you know how we are chronically talking about inflammation and its link to many health issues, including unhappy skin? This friction could be causing more harm than good for certain skin types. Have we gotten out of hand with our sloughing?

Particles, even the micro-est of the micro, can cause tearing and scratching of the skin. Delicate skin types should avoid abrasive exfoliants, as should those with irritated skin or open sores. Remember to be gentle with granular scrubs and use no more than twice per week.

What’s a delicate skinned gal to do? Men exfoliate their faces when they shave. Should we all go out and buy a Norelco? Hang on just a sec before you delve into your guy’s medicine cabinet.

The latest, greatest exfoliating ingredients are hitting the beauty scene large. True, they are acids, but they are natural fruit acids from apples and pears (malic acid), citrus fruits (citric acid), and grapes (tartaric acid). Fruit enzymes, like papaya and pineapple, are also highly effective skin sloughers. Think of these ripe ingredients as the safe way to peel.

Fruit Acid Skin Peels for Glowing Skin

Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask

La Bella Figura Bio Active Healing Mask

Living Libations Green Papay Lime AHA Mask

Dr. Alkaitis Cellular Repair Mask

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Image of happy apple face via Shutterstock

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They are a hot item. You can’t miss them when walking through department store beauty counters, drug stores, even supermarkets. But does a facial cleansing brush do your skin any good?

Short answer, yes! Here’s why…

Facial brushes are advertised as tools designed to deep clean the skin. Sure, the spinning bristles do help to brush built up dirt and debris from pores. But the smooth, glowy skin these devices deliver is actually due to the exfoliating action. Dead, dry skin cells that sit on the top layer of skin are removed and fresh, radiant skin is revealed.

Exfoliation is good for reasons beyond the instant radiance factor. Sloughing dead skin cells means the healthy products you use on your skin can absorb more easily and do their job. It also helps to rev up circulation and reduce the appearance of lines and wrinkles.

Touted as a tool for dealing with acne, facial brushes are truly beneficial to all skin types. Brush bristles are very soft and even sensitive skin types benefit from regular exfoliation. We’ll get to the how to in just a minute.

Exfoliating skin is not just a girl thing. Guys benefit from this skin booster too. Most men are exfoliating their skin, whether they know it or not, when they shave. But using a facial brush on forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin keeps skin healthy and looking its best.

You can use your facial brush in a couple of ways. If you have acne try using the brush with a cleanser for acne prone skin, paying special attention to affected areas. If you are looking to banish blackheads, try an exfoliating cleanser with the brush. For those with normal to sensitive skin types, use a cream cleanser with the brush, or try using the brush with plain water post cleansing. Exfoliating 1-2 times weekly should be effective.

Remember: Let the brush do the work, not elbow grease. Exfoliation should be gentle. And never exfoliate broken or irritated skin.

No matter how you use your brush, be sure to rinse skin thoroughly once you are finished. Rinse your brush in hot water each time you use it and allow to air dry. This will help to prevent bacteria build up.

Starting to feel a facial cleansing brush in your future? Clarisonic Mia 2 is a popular choice. Olay Pro-X works well and at a much lower price. I recently tried the Spa Sonic Pro that comes with several attachments with the face brush. You can read my review.

A facial cleansing brush is a valuable component to any skincare routine. Gentle exfoliation and safe natural products are key to getting the most out of this tool.

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Image of facial cleansing brush via Shutterstock

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A good facial scrub is essential to healthy skin, but is this seemingly innocent beauty product to blame for massive water pollution?

Life on this planet can’t exist without water, yet water pollution is a major problem for countries around the world. And it’s not only the fault of industrial polluters (although they’ve been allowed to dump horrifying toxins into the water supply for decades). Thanks to hidden ingredients in everyday products, we too are contributing to water pollution without even realizing it.

Many modern exfoliation products contain plastic microbeads that help to slough away dead skin cells. What the makers of these products failed to tell us is that these tiny plastic beads are NOT water soluble. When used, they’re flushed away to water treatment plants that aren’t capable of filtering them out. As a result, the end up in the our oceans, lakes and rivers where they wreak havoc on the ecosystem.

The plastics can be digested by marine life like plankton and mussels and then passed along the food chain to human consumption, according to research by the 5 Gyres Institute. The beads can also attract other pollutants in the water and pass it along to humans.

Here in the U.S., the use of products that contain plastic microbeads is taking a toll on the Great Lakes, which together hold nearly one-fifth of the earth’s surface freshwater. “The highest concentrations were found in 2012 in Lake Erie. Researchers found polyethylene and polypropylene that included traces of aluminum silicate and coal ash, often coming from coal power plants. Some of the samples had 450,000 particles of plastic per square kilometer,” reports EcoWatch.

Of course, making your own facial scrubs and exfoliating masks from edible ingredients is the best way to ensure that your beauty regimen doesn’t encourage water pollution. But if you’re not into DIY, there are other ways to avoid plastic-filled cosmetics. Two Netherlands-based organizations, the North Sea Foundation and the Plastic Soup Foundation, teamed up to create a smartphone app that can help consumers steer clear of products that contain these toxic plastic beads.

The app, called “Warning: Plastics Inside!” can be downloaded at the Apple App Store, the Google Play Store, and Windows Phone Store.

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Image: pyxopotamus

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Some say hemp is the fiber of the future. And some like to point out that hemp has been around for as long as women have been gathering and men hunting. The use of hemp dates back 10,000 years, when hemp textile industries began in Europe and Asia. Gautama Buddha ate hemp seeds in 500 BC and hemp paper was invented in China in 100 BC. The English word for “hempe” was first listed in 1000 AD. And in 1776, the American Declaration of Independence was drawn up on hemp paper.

History lesson aside, why does it then seem like hemp has just appeared on the market? Most likely, it is because Americans associate the plant with marijuana and 1960s hippies. Hemp and marijuana are both varieties of the Cannabis sativa plant – except hemp will not get you high, as it contains less than one percent THC. (Marijuana contains up to 20 percent.) It is highly sustainable and requires very little pesticides. Over 25,000 products can be made from hemp, including shampoo, carpets, paper, and more.

Luckily, the tide of public acceptance seems to be turning for hemp. The green world is awash in hemp-i-tude! Hemp seed oil is known to be extremely hydrating, as its composition most resembles skin’s natural lipids. It is an anti-inflammatory that helps with the healing of acne, and is high in amino acids and essential fatty acids. Not to mention, it is great on your hair.

And a really great hemp product? That would be the Hemp Exfoliating Face Cloth from North American Hemp Company. This cloth, retailing for around $6, is made from 100 percent organic hemp fibers. And if you want a good eco-scrub, then this is the product for you. The packaging is made from 100 percent recycled content, it is cruelty free, vegan, and is 100 percent certified organic. (Though by who, I cannot discern.)

The hemp cloth claims to “bring superior exfoliating ability to reveal newer more radiant skin cells without the hyper-abrasion or overly-irritating the delicate skin on your face.” Does it? Yes – if you are looking for a good yet not too overbearing scrub cloth, I’d highly recommend it.

Just don’t try to smoke it afterwards.

FTC Compliance

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